What Happens During a Pap Smear?

A pap smear is an examination performed by a doctor to check for abnormalities in the cervix. The examination is helpful for detecting precancerous or cancerous cells in the cervix. Early detection of cancer cells increases the chances of successful treatment. Women should begin having regular pap smears when they become sexually active or when they turn 18 years old, whichever comes first. Depending on the woman's medical history, the doctor will recommend that she have pap smears yearly, biannually or once every three years. The examination takes about five minutes to perform and may cause a woman to experience brief discomfort but usually not pain.

Medical History

Before a Pap smear is performed, a doctor or nurse asks the patient questions about her medical history so that he is aware of any health concerns. After the medical history, the patient is asked to put on an examination robe. An examination robe is a cloth or paper robe that opens in the front or back. It allows the doctor to examine the patient while allowing her the privacy of having as much of her body covered as possible. The doctor or nurse leaves the room, allowing the patient to undress and put the examination robe on in privacy.

Preparation for the Pap Smear

A doctor and a nurse come back into the room after the patient has put her examination robe on. The patient is asked to lie on her back on top of an examination table. Usually a doctor does a breast examination and uses a stethoscope to listen to the patient's heart and lungs prior to performing the pap smear.

When it is time to perform the pap smear, the doctor asks the patient to place her feet in the stirrups at the end of the examination table to get her body in position for the exam. The stirrups are placed to position the woman's legs in an open position so that the doctor can easily access her vagina. The doctor sits on a stool at the end of the table at a position between the woman's legs, while the nurse remains nearby to assist the doctor if needed.

The Pap Smear Examination

To perform the examination, the doctor inserts a sterilized speculum into the woman's vagina. A speculum is a tool that looks like a duck bill. It is inserted into the vagina in a closed position. Once inside the vagina, the doctor opens the tool to expand the vagina so that he can see the cervix. The doctor visually examines the cervix and vagina for signs of abnormalities. Then the doctor takes a sample of cells from the cervix. To take the sample, the doctor uses a small spatula, brush or swab to gently scrape a sample of cells from the cervix. He then smears the sample of cells on a glass slide. The slide containing the sample of cells is later examined under a microscope for cell abnormalities. After the sample is obtained, the speculum is closed and removed from the vagina. Following removal of the speculum, the doctor sometimes inserts a gloved finger into the vagina or rectum and palpitates the woman's abdomen to feel for lumps or abnormalities.

Test Results

Pap smear test results are not available for a few days. The doctor's office calls the patient if the test results are abnormal. A negative result means that no abnormal cells were detected. A positive result means that abnormal cells were detected. If the test comes back positive, the doctor usually orders another Pap test to be performed to verify the results, because sometimes Pap smear tests come back from the lab with a false positive result.